Crown court fight had left people in fear

A man started a fight inside a crown court which injured two security guards and left people running, “fearing for their safety” a hearing has been told.

Michael Ogebule was in the public gallery at Maidstone Crown Court in summer 2017 when his relative, Isaiah Morgan, was locked up for raping a teenager as she slept at a party.

The victim and members of her family were present for the hearing and left the courtroom immediately after Morgan, then 19, was sent down.

Mr Ogebule, of Longhurst Road, Croydon, then spotted them in another part of the building and shouted at them, prosecutor Andrew Jones told Maidstone Magistrates’ Court.

The 23-year-old is then said to have ran downstairs and confronted the family, at which point the victim’s brothers stepped in front of the woman to protect her.

One of them pushed Mr Ogebule, and security staff swiftly intervened in an effort to prevent violence breaking out between the two families.

However, Mr Ogebule removed the belt from his trousers, which he “brandished and waved around”, threatening to assault the security guards, the court was told.

A fight broke out, which resulted in one guard being knocked over and another injuring his back.

Mr Jones said: “Court ushers had to run to get help. People feared for their safety as a result of his actions.”

Boxing enthusiast Morgan, from Gillingham, denied rape but was convicted by a jury in May 2017. Mr Ogebule denied a charge of affray and will stand trial at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday.